Display-easel.



No. 666,94l. v Patented Ian. 29, mm. a. B. srmzn.

, msP-LAYusEL.

(Applicgtion filed Apr. 23, 1.900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet Aitornqvs.

INVEN TOR THE norms Pzrzns ca. mom-umm. WASHINGTON. n. c.

No. 666,94l. 4 Patented Ian. 29, i901. G. B. STREIT.

DISPLAY EASEL.

(Application filed. Apr. 23, 1900.)

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

,4 Norm: rs.

on the counters or shelves of stores.

NITE STATES ATENT OFFI E.

GEORGE B. STREIT, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

DlSPLAY-EASEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,941, dated January29, 1901.

Application filed April 23, 1900. serial No. 14,070. \No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. STREIT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Display-Easels; and I declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to display easels, and has for its object animproved display frame or easel intended to be used as a support forarticles to be displayed or exhibited It can be used as the back of acarton or packingcase in which smaller boxes are contained or as asupport for small articles fastened to it, or it can itself be used as ashow-card.

In use the easel has a triangular form, but can be readily changed fromthis form to a compact fold for shipping or packing, in which itoccupies only the thickness of two pieces of the material from which itis made.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows the blank in its unfolded form. Fig. 2is a perspective of the blank in its display form. Fig. 3 is a sectionof the blank in its display form. Fig. 4 is a section of the blankfolded to its form for packing. Fig. 5 is shown as a blank made fromparts hinged together and prepared to hold small articles that are heldto the display-face by suitable fasteners. Fig. 6 is a View of the topof the base part of the easel shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a section ofthe easel shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 isa detail view showing a mode ofsecuring two of the parts together.

The easel is made either from a single piece of material made flexibleat two places aand b or from three pieces of material hinged together atthe flexion -lines. It may be considered as divided into three parts bythe hinge-lines-a front or display face A, a base B, and a brace O. Thebase B lies between the hinge-lines a and b, the display-face A lies toone side of the base, and the brace lies to the other. The display-faceis longer than the brace and has near its upper end a catch pointingtoward the hinge-line and adapted to engage over the upper end of thebrace. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, this is a tongue 6, the point ofwhich is directed toward the hinge-line b. The brace O has cutthrough ittwo holes f and g. Preferably the tongues f and g are left in the holesand the free ends of both of them point toward the hingeline a. Theoutermost g of the tongues of the brace O is near the end of the braceand is properly arranged to allow the point of the tongue e to engagethrough the opening when the easel is bent to the shapeshown in Fig. 2.The tongue f is properly located to allow the tongue e to engage throughthe opening when the easel is packed for shipping, and the structurethen takes the form indicated in Fig. 4.

To mount the easel, it is bent at the hingelines a and b to bring theends D and E toward one another. The end D is engaged under the tongue 6and the end of the tongue e pushed down into the openingg of the tongue9, and the easel is in shape to stand on its base B with itsdisplay-face in an oblique position and its brace end properly arrangedto support it.

To pack the parts, the easel is bent on itself at the line b. The tongue6 is inserted through the openingf, and the parts can now be handledwithout opening. The openingg and the tongue 9 serve two functions.First, they form a lock to aid in securing the parts together, and,second, they furnish a bearing under the tongue 6, which bends or yieldstoward the display-face A, and consequently enables the parts to be putin position without unduly straining the tongue 6.

The form shown in Fig. 5 has the same features of arrangement as thosealready described as pertaining to Figs. 1 and 2; but it is enlarged orwidened, and there are two tongues e instead of the single tongue 6, andin the brace-piece there are two tongues g instead of the single tongueg.

In'Fig. 5 the display-face is shown as provided with a number ofholding-points h, and these holding-points may be cut from the materialin the same way that the tongue e is described as being cut from thematerial, and a thin card of buttons or card of similar articles can beheld to the display-face A by inserting its edges under the fasteners71; but

preferably the fastener is made of a strip of flexible comparativelynon-elastic material 70, which will hold the shape to which it is bentand which will serve to hold securely the object to be exhibited andacts as a reinforcing-strip to the material of which the display part ofthe easel is composed. Such a flexible strip can be bent around orpartly around the article to be held to the easel. 'Ihe flexible stripis itself held to the easel by a covering-strip 1", which is cemented tothe back of the display part of the easel.

A cheaply-constructed easel may consist merely of a single piece ofcardboard scored at the hinge-lines and provided with tongues cut fromthe board. More expensive easels may be made with cloth orleather-hinges, or even the entire easel may be made of metal with metalhinges.

In Fig. 8 the point e is shown as cut to form a headed locking-pointarranged to be thrust in the opening g and to be held in place byfolding out the lobes which have been bent or folded in when the pointwas thrust through the hole. This makes a very secure lock to hold theparts together.

What I claim is- 1. An easel for display purposes, consisting of athree-part frame, one part comprising a supporting or display face,another part comprising a brace, and the third part comprising a base,the material of the displayface being cut through to form adownwardlyextending tongue which may be bent backward, and extend overthe top of the brace, substantially as described.

2. An easel for display purposes, consisting of a three-part frame, onepart comprising a supporting ordisplay face, another part comprising abrace, and the third part comprising a base, the display-face beingprovided with a baekwardly and downwardly extending part to engage overthe top of the brace, said brace being provided with an aperture, theend of said part extending from the display-face being adapted to passinto the aperture in the brace, substantially as shown and for thepurpose described.

3. An easel for display purposes, made of a three-part frame arranged tobe bent for display purposes into three sections, one part comprising asupporting or display face, another part comprising a brace, and thethird part comprising a base, the display-face being provided with aprojection which extends backward and downward therefrom and engagesover the top of the brace when the frame is set up, said brace partbeing provided with an aperture so located that said projection shallenter the same and hold the parts in position when folded, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

GEORGE E. STREIT.

Witnesses:

SoLoN G. HOWE, JOHN N. GOODRIOH.

